An Introduction to
Islam
"Truly, the only way of life acceptable to Allah is
Islam." [Qur'an 3:19]
In 610 CE, Allah ordained
the final Prophet He would send to earth. Over five centuries
had passed since the previous Prophet He sent, Jesus the son of
Mary. This final Prophet was
Muhammad ibn Abdillah (saas).
Though Muhammad (saas) was
born in the Arabian peninsula, he was sent to all of humanity.
He was commissioned to deliver a message from Allah to Arabs and
non-Arabs alike.
The message was the same one which Allah had sent down to the
earliest humans. It contained a description of the way of life
which Allah had established for people to follow while they
lived here on earth. By agreeing to follow this way of life,
people would essentially be submitting themselves to Allah. The
name of this way of life was simply 'submission'. In Arabic,
this is Islam (pronounced "Isslaam").
The message of Islam was conveyed in only two ways: in the
form of a book, and in the
living
example of the Prophet. These two are the basis for a way of
life which is acceptable to
both mind and heart - it is neither illogical nor
impersonal. It is in fact the
only true way of life revealed from the Creator. The scope
of this way of life is vast enough that it transcends the
traditional notion of 'religion'. Islam includes submitting to
Allah in the realm of politics, economics, law, etc.
Whoever wishes to understand Islam can only start at one
place: the Oneness and Uniqueness
of Allah. This is the essence of the
creed of Islam, and no other
creed on earth approaches its power and elegance. Scholars have
written at length on the beliefs of Islam, but the core belief
is undisputed:
Sahih Bukhari -
Volume 9, Book 93, Number 470:
Narrated Mu'adh bin Jabal:
The Prophet said, "O Mu'adh! Do you know what Allah's Right
upon His slaves is?" I said, "Allah and His Apostle know
best." The Prophet said, "To worship Him (Allah) Alone and to
join none in worship with Him (Allah). Do you know what their
right upon Him is?" I replied, "Allah and His Apostle know
best." The Prophet said, "Not to punish them (if they do so)."
We here at MSA-USC pray that Allah finds the information
contained in this site pleasing to Him. We also hope that you
find the information useful to you.
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